fishless cycling question

[forenpa1]

I am 2 weeks into a fishless cyling process using ammonia.
My tank is a 36 gal with 20lbs Seachem Flourite and 20lbs Card Sea Supernat as a cap. I have a variety if 8 smaller plants.

My current levels are (been like this for about 2-3days)
Ammonia 0ppm (converrts from ~4ppm ammonia to 0 overnight)
Nitrite ~ 5ppm,
Nitrate ~40 ppm
pH 7.6
water temp 84F
should I do a 50% water change to lower the Nitrites until they start to come down or leave as is and keep dosing 4ppm ammonia until the Nitrites go to 0

 

[jwh0818]

No need for a water change. Just keep dosing ammo back up to 4ppm

 

[fish4phil]

Once nitrites and nitrates are above what you can tell on your test kits, then do large water changes. This will only give you a better estimate on where your levels are and how they're moving.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[jwh0818]

Once nitrites and nitrates are above what you can tell on your test kits, then do large water changes. This will only give you a better estimate on where your levels are and how they're moving.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

No its a fishless cycle. Just let the tank run its course. No need for a waterchange on a fishless cycle

 

[Cattrah]

I just finished my fishless cycle and I let the nitrites/nitrates go high in week three and then in week four I did three water changes (two 50% and one 80%) to bring them down some and then in week five I did one water change (50%) and a few days later the cycle was done. Probably not necessary, but I needed to see some change in the tests for my own sanity. I only dosed ammonia to 4ppm every other day, seemed excessive to do it every day since the bacteria don't die overnight and it kept the nitrites/nitrates from climbing off the chart too fast.

 

[fish4phil]

No its a fishless cycle. Just let the tank run its course. No need for a waterchange on a fishless cycle

I disagree. A cycle increase both ammonia to nitrite bacteria and nitrite to nitrate bacteria. If, every time your ammonia reaches below 1 you dose it up to 4, your nitrites are likely not 0 or even below 1, which means you will get a nitrite spike. Your nitrite to nitrate bacteria would be built up way beyond your level of ammonia to nitrite bacteria, in short, stalling the cycle.

To the OP, there is a lot of debate around this issue, but doing a water change can't hurt. What it will help you do is monitor more accurately your nitrite and nitrate levels. After all, if the highest nitrite level on your test kit is 5, you can't tell the difference between 5 and 10 and more...

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[jwh0818]

I disagree. A cycle increase both ammonia to nitrite bacteria and nitrite to nitrate bacteria. If, every time your ammonia reaches below 1 you dose it up to 4, your nitrites are likely not 0 or even below 1, which means you will get a nitrite spike. Your nitrite to nitrate bacteria would be built up way beyond your level of ammonia to nitrite bacteria, in short, stalling the cycle.

To the OP, there is a lot of debate around this issue, but doing a water change can't hurt. What it will help you do is monitor more accurately your nitrite and nitrate levels. After all, if the highest nitrite level on your test kit is 5, you can't tell the difference between 5 and 10 and more...

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Okay we all have our own ways. I'm through arguing. I've been keeping fish for 15 years. Op its a fishless cycle. What's the point in a water change?

 

[Fishperson]

I agree with jwh. In fact, just dose ammonia up to 2 ppm from the beginning. I don't know if high nitrite can "stall" a cycle, but it can sure get annoying. Just dose lower, around 1-2, and then raise it up to 4 in the very end.

 

[ScotJudd]

This looks like in a fishless cycle it becomes personal choice as to WCs but I like to keep my nitrite reading within the range of the test kit so that I can monitor progress. I know that the cycle being stalled by excessive nitrite levels is much debated but I believe that to be true. But as it's fishless it doesn't really matter, may just alter the speed of the cycling.